Bangalay Dining - Shoalhaven Heads

Had an absolutely perfect lunch, the food, the location, the atmosphere, and service were outstanding, (thankyou Paige) My wife and I had the kangaroo for entree, and the rib eye for main, with kepler potatoes and green beans for a side. Everything on the plates complimented each other. We will most definitely be back and recommend Bangalay thoroughly.

What a great restaurant. Accidentally stumbled upon this place and we are very glad we did. Had the feast menu which was a great way to taste multiple different dishes. The $99 price was well worth the amount and quality of the food. Services was great and very good recommendations for wines that match the dishes. If you're in the area I recommend try Bangalay!

4.5 stars) Bangalay Dining in Shoalhaven Heads is a NSW South Coast standout, delivering solid contemporary Australian cooking with flashes of brilliance. Following the fine-diner model set down by restaurants like the now defunct) Silvereye and Biota, their tasting menu $120) begins with a flurry of snacks. Wafer thin crocodile smoked in paperbark is presented under green ants on house-made wattleseed lavosh, and Murray cod is stuffed into a nasturtium flower with bright tarama. They both set the scene for a truly Australian experience. The local area is celebrated with Lake Illawarra bully mullet being lightly torched and served on an oyster emulsion with foraged turkey rhubarb and smoked Maldon sea salt. My dining companion was chuffed to sit in a fancy restaurant eating something he used to catch in a trap to use as a bait fish, from a fairly flat and uninspiring lake I’ve never seen listed on a restaurant menu. We washed it down with the 2019 Stargazer Chardonnay $105) that has good concentration, an elegant nose, and a maritime salty oyster shell lick that suited the fish. Emu tartar, dressed with saltbush and an over-cooked egg, wanted for a lick of sweetness to balance all the salt. Balmain bug had a beautiful translucent centre against a silky custard made from shell stock, fingerlime and a delicate sheet of compressed rockmelon. Despite being very charred on the exterior, the lamb rump had too much unrendered fat in the interior for my liking, making it a bit bland and chewy against smoked yoghurt and onion soubise. Vegetables were universally excellent, from blackened zucchini with preserved lemon peel, to wonderful fresh pea shoots and leaves. Chef Simon Evans forages for the elderflowers he uses in his harmonious palate cleanser, where Geraldton wax flowers bead over a pear broth garnished with elderflower cream. It’s followed by a peach poached in agave syrup and white balsamic with thick creme fraiche that eats like being kissed on the head before you toddle back to your attached eco-villa to sleep like a baby. Well worth the trip!

We had a wonderful experience dining at Bangalay Dining to celebrate my birthday. The set menu was delicious and it was exciting trying all the local native Australian ingredients. The service from Paige and all of the team at Bangalay was exceptional. They took the time to explain all the dishes that were served, answered all of our questions and made sure all our water glasses were constantly full. Bangaly Dining is a Sydney quality fine dining restaurant here on the South Coast. Highly recommend and we will be back.

Bangalay Dining is it's own thing. Excellent use of local and native products, particularly flora. With the beach nearby for an afternoon beforehand or a walk afterwards, it's a unique spot that isn't comparable to anything nearby. Well worth the visit. Great service, great menu (with regular additions/changes/specials). We first went for Christmas lunch 2020, and Bangalay had their own excellent take on a Christmas lunch.